View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Decision Making Pre-Mortem |  Decision Making Argument Mapping |  Decision Making DACI |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures. | When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on. | In cross-functional decisions, responsibilities quickly blur between approval, influence, and execution. DACI arranges these roles so decision pressure, contribution, and information stay cleanly separated. | An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 20–45 min | 1-3 h | 30-60 min | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | Small cross-functional group | 1-8 | 2-10 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Risk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption log | Argument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale | DACI Matrix, Decision Owner, Decision Log | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | RiskDecisionFailurePlanning | SensemakingDecisionRationale | DecisionRolesGovernanceAlignment | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |